Being645 wrote: ↑22 May 2023, 07:55
ROBBIE wrote: ↑22 May 2023, 07:10
Same set as Portland etc.
OK, thanks ...
... and how was the gig? ... Or the one on Friday?
I did not do Portland on Friday. I chose to take the train from San Francisco to Seattle and see some of the beautiful sights of north California and Oregon.
The Moore Theatre is an old theatre which is used mainly for gigs these days. It has an early 19th century decor and has been kept well. (There is a hotel attached to the theatre building as well). It is all seated. The opening line from Macbeth “When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain?” sprung to mind while watching the plethora of goths in their black finery, last used in 2008 when TSOM made their one and only trip to the city.
Support band The Cloud of Ravens are pleasant enough if a little to one paced with a few songs sounding the same.
Then the lights went down and the blue lights flicked and the intro began. It all started so well. Like LA you could hear AE singing during the first verse and chorus of Don’t Drive. Then it all changed. Ben’s guitar was too low in the mix and you could hardly hear the guitar solo. In fact for whole eighty minutes it never altered. I find it incredible that the front of house engineer, or indeed anyone of front of house crew did not pick the issue up and tap the sound engineer on the shoulder. AE’s vocal mix was wildly erratic, sometimes too high, and others too low, and this was not just AE mumbling. Dylan got off lightly, as did the Doctor.
Same setlist as the past three shows. It took the crowd a while to warm up and AE made a comment about sitting down through a show but by the time More had finished they were up and jigging around me. The end of the main set though fell flat, too many new songs / slow tracks deadened the atmosphere. Eyes of Caligula is in the wrong place (personally I would bench this song for now and play an older up tempo track for the US audiences). Something Fast and I Was Wrong should be separated in my opinion. Here was again awesome and is now the best new song in the set.
The encores are now a well worn trio and suitably enjoyed by all leaving the crowd at least a happy feeling when exiting into the unexpected rain.
In conclusion if I had paid TicketBastard $300 for a front row seat I would be very unhappy but I didn’t so I am quite happy that it was a half decent show. The band should be commended that in this age of many equalities they appear to have employed the only tone deaf sound engineer currently working in the industry.
I’m off to see the sights of Seattle before heading back to LA where I am buying a long stick with which to poke the sound man if he gets it wrong again. Wish me luck.
